London to Any Dutch station by train & ferry from £55...

Stena Line sell special Rail & Sail tickets from London or Any Greater Anglia station to Amsterdam or Any Dutch station, covering the train to Harwich, the Stena Line ferry to Hoek van Holland and onward trains to any Dutch station, all on one ticket for one inclusive price, from £55 plus a choice of cabins from £35.

You can leave central London by train at 7:30pm, sleep in a cosy private cabin with shower, toilet, WiFi & satellite TV on the luxurious Stena Line superferry from 21:00 to 08:00, and arrive Rotterdam at 9am or Amsterdam Centraal at 10:25am, without a 4.30am alarm call or 6:30am check-in at the airport!  It saves an expensive hotel room in London or Amsterdam and it's an experience in itself, see the video guide...

The Rail & Sail service is run jointly by Stena Line, Greater Anglia & Dutch Railways (NS).

CO2 savings:  Flight = 68 Kg CO2 per passenger, Rail & Sail = 13.6 Kg = 80% saving (Source).

COVID-19 update:  The Stena Line ferry is still running as normal, but Stena Line has temporarily halted sale of the special RailSail combined tickets.  So until further notice you need to buy a foot passenger ferry ticket from Harwich to Hoek plus separate train tickets.  More COVID-19 travel info

Timetable London ► Amsterdam

The night boat...

• Step 1, travel from London to Harwich by train, leaving London Liverpool Street Station at 19:32 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Harwich International at 20:54, or at 20:00 on Sundays arriving 21:24.

  From Cambridge or Ipswich, on Mondays-Saturdays leave Cambridge at 19:47 or Ipswich at 21:03, arriving Harwich International at 21:29.  On Sundays leave Cambridge at 19:46 or Ipswich at 21:03, arriving Harwich at 21:29.

  You can check train times from any UK town or city to Harwich at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

• Step 2, sail from Harwich to Hoek van Holland overnight on Stena Line's luxurious superferry Stena Britannica, sailing at 23:00 & arriving at 08:00 next morning.  You can board from around 20:55 onwards, check-in closes at 22:15.  All passengers sleep in private cabins with en suite toilet & shower, satellite TV & WiFi, see choice of cabins.  The ship's restaurant will be open for dinner.  Remember that Dutch time is 1 hour ahead of UK time.

• Step 3, take the metro from Hoek van Holland to Schiedam Centrum, downtown Rotterdam or Rotterdam Alexander.  Air-conditioned metro trains leave Hoek van Holland every 20 minutes weekdays, every 30 minutes at weekends from just outside the ferry terminal, taking 23 minutes to Schiedam Centrum, 30  minutes to downtown Rotterdam & 50 minutes to Rotterdam Alexander.  There's usually one around 08:32 weekdays or 08:50 weekends.  You can check metro times at www.ret.nl.

• Step 4 for Delft, Den Haag, Leiden, Haarlem & Amsterdam, get off the metro at Schiedam Centrum and take the intercity train leaving Schiedam Centrum platform 5 at 09:16 arriving Delft 09:24, Den Haag HS 09:31, Leiden Centraal 09:45, Haarlem 10:09 & Amsterdam Centraal at 10:25.  These Intercity trains run every 15 minutes (every 30 minutes Sunday mornings), double-deck with free WiFi.  You can check times at www.ns.nl.

• Step 4 for Gouda, Utrecht, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Leeuwarden or Groningen, get off the metro at Rotterdam Alexander and take an intercity train.  These run to Utrecht every 15 minutes taking 30 minutes, to Groningen every hour taking 2h29.  Check times to other cities at www.ns.nl.  See tips for changing trains at Rotterdam Alexander.  You reach Utrecht at or before 10:28.

• Step 4 for anywhere else in the Netherlands, check train times using www.ns.nl.  Read the fare notes here.

• How much does it cost?     How to buy tickets     The journey explained in pictures

The day boat...

• Step 1, travel from London to Harwich by train, leaving London Liverpool Street Station at 06:38 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Harwich International at 08:09, or at 07:57 on Sundays arriving Harwich at 09:30.  Check train times from any station to Harwich at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

• Step 2, sail from Harwich to Hoek van Holland on Stena Line's luxurious superferry Stena Hollandica.  On Mondays-Saturdays she sails at 09:00 arriving 17:15.  On Sundays she sails at 10:00 arriving at 18:00.  The ship has private cabins, bars, restaurant, lounges, cinema, children's play area.

• Step 3, take the metro from Hoek van Holland to Schiedam Centrum, downtown Rotterdam or Rotterdam Alexander.  Air-conditioned metro trains leave Hoek van Holland every 20 minutes weekdays, every 30 minutes at weekends from right outside the ferry terminal, taking 23 minutes to Schiedam, 30  minutes to Rotterdam or 50 minutes to Rotterdam Alexander.  You can check times at www.ret.nl.

• Step 4 for Delft, Den Haag, Leiden, Haarlem & Amsterdam, get off the metro at Schiedam Centrum and take the intercity train leaving Schiedam Centrum platform 5 at 18:46 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving Delft 18:54, Den Haag HS 19:01, Leiden Centraal 19:15, Haarlem 19:39 & Amsterdam Centraal at 19:55, or at 19:16 on Sundays arriving Delft 19:24, Den Haag HS 19:31, Leiden Centraal 19:45, Haarlem 20:09 & Amsterdam Centraal at 20:25.  These InterCity trains are double-deck with free WiFi, find a top deck seat for the best views.  Check Dutch train times at www.ns.nl.

• Step 4 for Gouda, Utrecht, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Leeuwarden or Groningen, get off the metro at Rotterdam Alexander and take an intercity train to Utrecht (every 15 minutes taking 30 minutes) or Groningen (every hour, taking 2h29).  See tips for changing trains at Rotterdam Alexander.  You should reach Utrecht at or before 19:28 Monday-Saturday or 20:28 Sundays.  Check times to other cities at www.ns.nl.

• Step 4 for anywhere else in the Netherlands, check train times using www.ns.nl.  Read the fare notes here.

• How much does it cost?     How to buy tickets     The journey explained in pictures

Timetable Amsterdam ► London

The night boat...

• Step 1 from Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden or Den Haag:  Leave Amsterdam Centraal at 18:34, Haarlem 18:50, Leiden Centraal 19:15 or Den Haag HS 19:29 by InterCity train arriving Schiedam Centrum at 19:43.  The Intercity train is double-deck, go upper deck for the best views.

  Then travel from Schiedam Centrum to Hoek of Holland Haven by metro train.  These run every 20 minutes on weekdays or every 30 minutes at weekends taking 24 minutes.  By all means catch an earlier train/metro combo, your ticket is valid on any departure and the ship starts boarding from around 19:30.  At Hoek, the metro arrives right next to the ferry terminal.

• Step 1 from Groningen or Utrecht:  Take an Intercity train to Rotterdam Alexander, leaving Groningen at 15:18 or Utrecht at 17:48, you can check times at www.ns.nl.  Then take the metro from Alexander to Hoek van Holland Haven, this runs every 20 minutes weekdays, every 30 minutes weekends, there's usually one at 18:41 arriving Hoek van Holland at 19:42.  You can check times at www.ret.nl.  See tips for changing trains at Rotterdam Alexander.

• Step 1 from Rotterdam, take the metro from any city centre metro station (for example, Beurs) to Hoek van Holland Haven leaving at or just after 19:00.  The metro runs every 20 minutes weekdays, every 30 minutes at weekends, journey time around 30 minutes.  You can check times at www.ret.nl.

• Step 2, sail from Hoek van Holland to Harwich overnight on Stena Line's luxurious superferry Stena Hollandica, sailing at 22:00 every day, arriving at 06:30 next morning.  Boarding at Hoek van Holland starts around 19:30 and closes at 21:15.  All passengers sleep in private cabins with en suite toilet & shower, satellite TV & WiFi, see choice of cabins below.  You can have dinner in the ship's restaurant.  UK time is 1 hour behind Dutch time.

• Step 3, travel from Harwich to London by train, leaving Harwich International at 07:15 Monday-Friday or 07:20 Saturdays & Sundays, arriving London Liverpool Street station at 08:54 Monday-Friday, 08:46 Saturday or 08:45 Sunday.  You can check train times at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

  For Ipswich & Cambridge, on Mondays to Saturdays a train leaves Harwich International at 07:50 arriving Ipswich 08:18 & Cambridge 09:40.  On Sundays it leaves Harwich at 08:50, arriving Ipswich 09:14 & Cambridge 10:40.  Check train times at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

• How much does it cost?     How to buy tickets    The journey explained in pictures

The day boat...

• Step 1, from Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden or Den Haag:  On Mondays-Saturdays, leave Amsterdam Centraal at 11:04, Haarlem 11:20, Leiden Centraal 11:45 or Den Haag HS at 11:59 by InterCity train to Schiedam Centrum, arriving at 12:13.

  On Sundays, leave Amsterdam Centraal at 10:34, Haarlem 10:50, Leiden Centraal 11:15 or Den Haag HS at 11:29 arriving Schiedam Centrum 11:43.

  These InterCity trains are double-deck, go upper deck for the best views.  Then travel from Schiedam Centrum to Hoek of Holland by metro train, these run every 20 minutes weekdays or every 30 minutes at weekends taking 24 minutes.

• Step 1 from Groningen or Utrecht:  Take an Intercity train to Rotterdam Alexander, leaving Groningen at 09:18 or Utrecht at 11:18 on Mondays-Saturdays, or Groningen 08:18 & Utrecht 10:48 on Sundays.  You can check times at www.ns.nl.

  Then take the metro from Alexander to Hoek van Holland Haven, this runs every 20 minutes weekdays, every 30 minutes weekends, one usually leaves at 12:08 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Hoek van Holland at 13:00, or 11:51 on Sundays arriving Hoek at 12:42, check times at www.ret.nl.  See tips for changing trains at Rotterdam Alexander.

• Step 1 from Rotterdam, take the metro from any city centre metro station (for example, Beurs) to Hoek van Holland Haven.  The metro runs every 20 minutes on weekdays, every 30 minutes at weekends, journey time around 30 minutes.  You need to leave Rotterdam at or just after 12:30 on Mondays-Saturdays, 12:00 on Sundays.  You can check metro times at www.ret.nl.

• Step 2, sail from Hoek van Holland to Harwich on Stena Line's luxurious superferry Stena Britannica, sailing at 14:15 Monday-Saturday or 13:45 Sundays, arriving Harwich 19:45.  The ship has private cabins, bars, restaurant, lounges, cinema, children's play area.

Step 3, travel from Harwich to London by train.  On Mondays-Saturdays a train leaves Harwich International at 20:45 arriving London Liverpool Street station at 22:14.  On Sundays, leave Harwich at 20:35, arriving London Liverpool Street at 22:02.  Check train times at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

• How much does it cost?     How to buy tickets     The journey explained in pictures

How much does it cost?

• Rail & Sail fares start at £55 each way.

  Children under 15 from £27.50 each way.  Children under 4 free.

  Tickets cover train, ferry, metro & Dutch train all on one ticket, from London or any Greater Anglia station to Amsterdam or any Dutch station.   Slightly higher fares may apply on peak dates or if travelling at short notice.

• Add the cost of a private cabin, compulsory on the night boat, optional on the day boat...

  All cabins have shower, toilet & satellite TV, see the photos of each type of cabin below.  The price is per cabin, not per person.  So 2 people pay 2 x £55 for travel tickets plus 1 x £46 2-bed cabin = £156 = £78 each.

  Cabins
  Supplement per cabin (not per person)	Overnight ferry... (compulsory)	Daytime ferry... (optional)
  Single berth cabin, inside	£35	£17.50
  Single berth cabin, with window	£46	£23
  2-berth cabin, inside	£46	£23
  2-berth cabin, with window	£54	£27
  3 or 4 berth cabin, with window	£80	£40
  5-berth family cabin, with window	£87	£43.50
  Comfort Class 2-berth cabin, window	£87	£43.50
  Captain's Class deluxe 2-berth, window	£107	£53.50
  Captain's Suite deluxe 2-berth, window	£132	£66

  Cabin costs can be a few pounds higher on busy days.

  Adding a cot for a child aged 0-3 costs £4, you can add when booking.

• Optional extras on night boat:

  3-course waiter-service Dinner in the Metropolitan restaurant + buffet breakfast in the Taste restaurant: £33

  3-course waiter-service Dinner in the Metropolitan restaurant: £26.

  Buffet breakfast in the Taste restaurant:  £11.

  Dog or other pet:  £17 for a reserved cage in the kennels.

• Optional extras on day boat:

  2-course lunch:  £16.

  Stena Plus Lounge access: £15 with complimentary tea, coffee, red & white wine, snacks.

  Dog or other pet:  £17 for a reserved cage in the kennels.

About these fares...

• Rail & Sail fares are valid from any Greater Anglia railway station, including London Liverpool Street, Stratford, Cambridge, Colchester, Chelmsford, Norwich, Ipswich, Ely, Romford, Ilford, Bishop's Stortford.  Simply check train fares & times to Harwich International using www.nationalrail.co.uk.  Allow plenty of time (at least 45 minutes, preferably more) to connect with the ferry at Harwich.

  From Edinburgh, York, Birmingham, Leicester, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham & so on all you need is a ticket to Ely as your rail & sail ticket is valid from any Greater Anglia station on any Greater Anglia train.  Or you can go via London, which may be faster & no more expensive.

• Rail & Sail fares are to any Dutch NS station, meaning Amsterdam or almost any town or city in the Netherlands, using the RET metro from Hoek van Holland then trains operated by NS (Nederandse Spoorwegen, Dutch Railways).  Simply check train times from Hoek van Holland to anywhere in the Netherlands at www.ns.nl.

• Trains you can't use:  You cannot use Thalys or Eurostar, or on non-NS operators such as Arriva, Breng, Connexxion or Syntus.

• Trains for which a small supplement must be paid:  You must pay a few euros supplement at the station if you want to use the 200 km/h InterCity Direct trains between Rotterdam Centraal, Schiphol & Amsterdam via the high-speed line or German ICE trains on the Amsterdam-Utrecht-Arnhem route.  However, there's no need to use these trains as regular Dutch trains link the same stations.

• Adding dinner, breakfast or lunch to your booking saves pounds compared to what you pay on the day on board.

• Onwards to Germany:  Use the German Railways website www.bahn.de to find train times & buy a ticket from Utrecht to Cologne, Frankfurt or Southern Germany by ICE train from €19.90, or from Amsterdam to Hannover, Hamburg or Berlin by German Intercity train from €39.90.

Luggage, dogs & bikes...

• Luggage:  You can take as much luggage as you can carry, there are no weight or size limits.  Just remember you will have to handle it!  You keep your luggage with you throughout the journey, putting it on the luggage racks on the trains and taking it into your cabin on the ferry.  On the day sailing, if you don't have a cabin it can be left in a luggage room that will be locked during the crossing.

• Bicycles:  You can't use a Rail & Sail ticket if you want to take a bike, as they have removed the ability to add a bike to a Rail & Sail booking.  But you can still take a bike on this train & ferry service if you buy separate train & ferry tickets, still great value, especially if you use an advance-purchase ticket for the rail part of the journey.  Full details of costs and how to buy tickets with a bike are explained on the bikes by train page.

• Dogs & pets:  You can take your dog or cat under the PETS travel scheme, if you reserve an on-board kennel.  Buy a Rail & Sail ticket in the normal way at www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry-to-holland/rail-and-sail, and at the stage where you enter the number of passengers and select a cabin, simply enter the number of animals requiring a reserved kennel.  Dogs go free on the train from London to Harwich.  On Dutch trains, small dogs or cats go free if they are in a container on your lap, for a larger dog you'll need to buy a Dog Day Card (Dagkart Hond) for about €3 - you can buy this at the guest services desk on deck 9 on board the Stena Line ferry.  For more information see the taking your dog or pet page.

How to buy tickets starting in the UK. 

• Book online at www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry-to-holland/rail-and-sail.

  This sells one-way or round trip Rail & Sail tickets from London or any Greater Anglia station to any Dutch Railways station in the Netherlands.  To buy one-way or return tickets starting in the Netherlands you must use Stena Line's Dutch website instead, as explained below.

  Anyone from any country can book Rail & Sail tickets starting in the UK this way.  Booking usually opens 12 months ahead.

  It allows you to add a cabin & meals, and if you have a dog) reserve a kennel.  Train tickets are included when booking Rail & Sail.

  You print your own ticket, this .pdf printout is all you need to board the train in London (or any Greater Anglia station) & check in for the ferry.

  The confirmation from Stena Line will tell you how to download your Dutch metro & train tickets:  You do this by going to a special page on the Dutch Railways (NS) website, www.ns.nl/producten/en/coupon.  You enter the code that Stena Line give you and enter the starting & end points of your NS journey.  The starting point of your NS journey is the station where you get off the RET metro and get onto an NS train, so if your destination was Amsterdam (for example) you'd enter Schiedam Centrum to Amsterdam Centraal, if it was Utrecht you'd enter Rotterdam Alexander to Utrecht Centraal.  You print out the ticket, or you can load it into the NS Travel Planner app and show on your smartphone.  The barcode on this ticket will operate the NS & RET ticket gates at stations.

•   If you're from the USA first try booking at www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry-to-holland/rail-and-sail, but Stena Line's credit card controls sometimes block US cards.  If this happens, (a) create an account at the end of the booking process and it'll save your booking with a reference number, (b) call Stena Line on +44 343 208 1801 between 08:00 & 17:00 London time, quote your booking reference and they should be able to take your card details over the phone.  Feedback appreciated.  The Stena website gives a toll-free US number to call, but this doesn't work, so use the UK one.

• Buy tickets by phone:  Call Stena Line on 08445 762 762 (lines open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, 09:00-17:00 Sundays, all cabin & meal options can be sold) or from Greater Anglia on 0845 600 72 45 (lines open 08:00-22:00 daily, may not be able to offer all cabin types or on-board meals).  A booking fee of around £4 applies to phone bookings.

• Buy in person at London Liverpool Street ticket office:  You can buy tickets on the day, but places are limited and fares cheaper if you book in advance.  It's also better to buy from Stena Line, as rail companies can only offer regular cabin, not Comfort or Captain's class.

• The Man in Seat 61's top tips:  (1) Book a cabin on the daytime crossing even though it's optional, as cabins are half-price and it's somewhere to relax, freshen up, work, or watch TV.  (2) Add a meal to your booking, this saves several pounds over what you pay on board and you'll find a reserved table with your name on it in the Metropolitan à la carte restaurant.  (3) Here are some suggested hotels in Amsterdam.

How to buy tickets starting in the Netherlands...

• Book online at www.stenaline.nl.  Booking usually opens up to 12 months ahead.

  Switch it to English.  Click TO/FROM ENGLAND.  Then, most important, remember to click Rail & Sail.

  In the FIND PRICE & BOOK widget, select Any Dutch NS station (which includes Amsterdam) to Any Greater Anglia station (which includes London).

  A Rail & Sail booking from Any Dutch NS station to Any Greater Anglia station covers the Dutch train & metro to Hoek van Holland, the ferry, and the English train from Harwich to London.  You can add a cabin & meals, and if you have a dog) reserve a kennel.

  You print your own ticket, this .pdf printout is all you need to board the Stena Line ferry & take the train from Harwich to London or any Greater Anglia station.  But you can't use this printout to travel on the Dutch trains & metro, so you need to download your Dutch train & metro ticket like this, following the instructions which will be sent to you by Stena Line.

  These instructions will tell you to go to a special page on the Dutch Railways (NS) website, www.ns.nl/producten/en/coupon, enter a special code that Stena Line give you and enter the start & end points of your desired NS journey.  The starting point of your NS journey is whatever Dutch station you want to start from and the end station is the station where you need to change from the NS train to the RET metro to Hoek van Holland.  So if your starting point was Amsterdam (for example) you'd enter Amsterdam Centraal to Schiedam Centrum, if it was Utrecht you'd enter Utrecht Centraal to Rotterdam Alexander.  You print out the ticket, or you can load it into the NS Travel Planner app and show on your smartphone.  The barcode on this ticket will operate the NS & RET ticket gates at stations.

• To buy tickets by phone:  Stena Line's Dutch telesales line is 0900-8123 if calling from the Netherlands or +31 174 315 811 if calling from overseas, lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-17:00 Saturdays, Dutch time.

  UK residents can try calling Stena Line UK telesales on 08445 762 762, open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, 09:00-17:00 Sundays, but for tickets starting in the Netherlands they may tell you to call their Dutch office.

What's the journey like?

1.  London to Harwich by train...

The train to Harwich International leaves from London Liverpool Street station in the heart of the City of London, see station location map.

There is no check-in, just board the train any time before it leaves.  The departure board will tell you which platform it leaves from, staff will let you through the automatic ticket gates when you show your Stena Line e-ticket.  The Stena e-ticket is all you need for this train journey.

The train has free WiFi & toilets.  There are no reserved seats, you sit where you like, you'll have no problem finding a seat.  Luggage goes on the racks or simply on the floor.  It's just 82 minutes to Harwich, you can also board the train at Stratford, Shenfield, Chelmsford, Colchester & Manningtree.

Tip 1:  On a weekday evening, Liverpool Street station is busy with commuters and the station bars can be hectic.  A more peaceful place to wait with a coffee or beer is the Eastway Brasserie (eastwaybrasserie.co.uk) or 1901 Wine Lounge, both part of the Andaz London Liverpool Street Hotel, formerly the historic Great Eastern Hotel.  Go up the big escalators opposite platforms 1-4, exit the station and turn left along the station facade.

Tip 2:  Your Stena Line e-ticket is all you need to board the train.  It won't operate the ticket gates at London Liverpool Street so just ask staff to let you through.

Tip 3:   Tickets are good for any train, not just the advertised ferry connections.  When connecting with the night boat, why not catch an earlier train from London to Manningtree, have a pint and some food in the excellent station bar on the platform there, then travel on to Harwich?

Tip 4:  If you want to be first onto the ship at Harwich, sit at the rear of the train - although the front of the train will be emptier if you want to spread out.

London Liverpool Street station...

The train to Harwich International with toilets & free WiFi.  These class 321 trains are due to be replaced by brand-new air-conditioned Aventra trains from some time in 2020...

2. Harwich to Hoek van Holland by Stena Line ferry...

At Harwich, the train arrives directly at the ferry terminal - you'll see the ship on your left as the train pulls in.  Walk back along the platform towards the rear of the train, through the double glass doors at the London end of the platform straight into the ferry terminal and up the escalators to the first floor.

Boarding the ferry:  Walk through the door marked Departures.  Stena Line staff will check your ticket as you enter.  Then you put your bags through the X-ray machine and walk through the metal detector, then have your passport checked by UK Border Force.  You then get to the check-in desk where Stena Line staff scan the barcode on your e-ticket and print your cabin key and any meal vouchers.  They'll give you your RET-NS Combi-ticket which is a disposable smartcard covering your onward RET metro & Dutch Railways (NS) train travel.  If you're making a round trip, they'll give you a second ticket for the return journey.  Now you walk up the passenger gangway onto the Stena Line superferry.  Outside peak periods It can take as little as 15 minutes from train to ship, a far more relaxed experience than any airport.

On board:  You enter the ship on deck 7, go up the stairs or lift to deck 9 where all the passenger facilities are located including bars, restaurants, shop, lounges & the guest services desk.  All cabins are on decks 10 & 11.  There is open-air deck towards the stern on deck 9 for some sea air and a sealed & ventilated smoking lounge forward on deck 9 if you're a smoker.  The small Stena Plus Lounge (day crossings only) has complimentary tea, coffee, red & white wine, snacks & newspapers - although I think it's better to pay for a private cabin rather than the lounge, even on the day crossing, as you can snooze, shower, watch TV, or just relax or work in privacy.

WiFi:  WiFi is available on board on deck 9 and in cabins, free for the first 20 minutes, with packages for faster & longer access costing a few euros.  You can use your normal mobile phone data while the ferry is in or near port.

All-weather reliable, steady as a rock...  The Stena Line superferries are 63,000 tons GT (Gross Tonnage), the largest Ro-Pax ships serving the UK, steady as a rock in almost all weathers.  Indeed, I've crossed in winter as a 'named' Force 10 storm lashed the North Sea:  Falling asleep before she sailed, I woke briefly in the night, felt some minor undulation, fell asleep again and woke at Harwich as we arrived spot on time.  I've sailed to the Netherlands at Christmas watching BBC news on our cabin TV about Heathrow closed due of snow and all flights grounded - the Stena Liner sailed & arrived spot on time as always.  This is the all-weather reliable route!

Lights ablaze, her restaurants & bars already open, the overnight Stena Liner boards passengers at Harwich International Port...

Metropolitan á la carte restaurant...  If you add lunch or dinner to your booking, a table will be reserved for you here with your name on it.  If you haven't pre-booked, just turn up & ask for a table.

Taste self-service restaurant...  Serves breakfast, lunch & dinner.  If you add breakfast to your booking it is served here.  Choose from cereal, juice, tea, coffee, continental breakfast or a cooked breakfast with eggs and bacon.

Stena Plus Lounge with complimentary tea, coffee, wine...		Open deck aft on Deck 9 for some sea air...

Choice of cabin accommodation...

A private cabin is compulsory on the night boat, optional (but half-price and a good idea) on the day boat.  All cabins have an en suite toilet & shower, satellite TV, all necessary bedding, towels, soap & shampoo.  There a desk with power sockets (UK 3-pin & European 2-pin) for laptops & mobiles.  Outside cabins have a window, inside cabins don't.  Stena Line are so proud of their Dux beds they put the Dux logo on the cabin doors - and it's true, the beds are extremely comfortable.  The satellite TV has BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4, and several Dutch Channels, plus a channel showing a forward view from the bridge and a channel which cycles through CCTV camera in the kennels so you can see your dog.  Click the images for larger photos...

Standard inside cabin, 1 or 2 berth		Standard outside cabin, 1 or 2 berth.  See 360º photo.

Standard 4 or 5 berth cabin ideal for families...		All cabins have shower & toilet.		Cabins are all on Deck 10 & 11...

Comfort Class cabin 1 or 2 berth, complimentary minibar, tea & coffee making facilities, hairdryer.		Captain's Class cabin with double bed, complimentary minibar with sparkling wine, tea & coffee making facilities, hairdryer.

Captain's Suite with bedroom & separate sitting room, double bed, complimentary minibar with sparkling wine, tea & coffee making facilities, hairdryer, widescreen TV.  The ship has just two Captain's suites.  The bedroom has a forward view.

Breakfast buffet in the self-service Taste Restaurant.  Whether you go for this depends on whether you want maximum sleep, or are lured by a cooked breakfast...

The huge 63,000 ton Stena Britannica arrived at Hoek van Holland in the morning...

3. Hoek van Holland to Schiedam Centrum by metro...

Disembarkation:  Foot passengers gather on Deck 9 near the guest services desk as the ship docks, when the gangway opens just after docking you simply walk off the ship along the gangway into the Stena Line terminal.  Your passport is checked by the Dutch police, then you walk out of the terminal building through the automatic glass doors to the right straight onto the RET (Rotterdam Transit) metro platform.  You can often be off the ship and onto a metro train in as little as 10-15 minutes.

Now take the metro!  If you have a print-at-home ticket the barcode will operate any station or metro ticket gates if you hold it against the scanner, but there are no ticket gates at Hoek van Holland, you can just walk on.  If you have a conventional hard-copy RET-NS Combi-Ticket (no longer issued by Stena Line), remember to touch in for the metro by holding your against the validator post on the platform until it beeps.

Hoek van Holland is the starting point for metro line B, trains run every 20 minutes weekdays, every 30 minutes weekends, taking 23 minutes to Schiedam Centrum, 30 minutes to downtown Rotterdam & 50 minutes to Rotterdam Alexander.  The end destination of line B is Nesselande.  Luggage goes with you, on the floor or in a special luggage area.

Change at Schiedam Centrum for mainline trains to Den Haag, Leiden, Haarlem, Amsterdam.  Alight at a station such as Beurs for downtown Rotterdam. 

Change at Rotterdam Alexander for mainline trains to Gouda, Utrecht, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Groningen & Leeuwarden.  There are no ticket gates at Rotterdam Alexander, so remember to touch out from the metro & touch in again on the mainline platform if you are using a conventional hard-copy RET-NS Combi-Ticket, touching in and out is not necessary if you have a print-at-home ticket.

The Hoek of Holland-Rotterdam metro started running on 30 September 2019, after two years spent converting this mainline rail route to light rail.  The metro runs above ground all the way to Schiedam, over a right of way that until the 1990s was used by expresses from Hoek of Holland to places as far afield as Copenhagen or Moscow, running in connection with the ferries.  A historic link!

4. Schiedam Centrum to Amsterdam by Intercity train...

For Delft, Den Haag, Leiden, Haarlem or Amsterdam, get off the metro at Schiedam Centrum.  Schiedam Centrum has 4 metro platforms & 5 mainline platforms.  The metro arrives on one side of the station, the train to Amsterdam leaves from platform 5 on the other side.  Go down the escalators or lift from the metro platform, through the metro ticket gates using your RET-NS Combi-ticket, through the NS (Dutch Railways) ticket gates again using your RET-NS Combi-Ticket and up the escalators or lift to platform 5.

The Dutch Intercity train to Amsterdam is double-deck, get an upstairs seat for the best views.  There are toilets & free WiFi on board.  Luggage goes on the racks or in the gaps between seat backs.  You arrive at Amsterdam Centraal, walking distance from almost all of Amsterdam's sights.  See Amsterdam Centraal station information.

Upper deck seats on the Intercity to Amsterdam...		Double-deck Intercity train at Amsterdam Centraal...

Amsterdam Centraal station.  See Amsterdam Centraal station information.

Tips for changing at Rotterdam Alexander...

If you're travelling between Hoek van Holland and Gouda, Utrecht, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Leeuwarden or Groningen, it's quickest and easiest to change between metro & NS mainline trains at Rotterdam Alexander, a little way east of central Rotterdam.

At Rotterdam Alexander there are 2 metro platforms at street level, and 2 Dutch Railways high-level platforms on an embankment reached by stairs or lift. 

When travelling east from Hoek van Holland you want Dutch Railways platform 1 for Utrecht & beyond which is the same side of the embankment as the metro station, so just leave the metro platform and go up the lift/stairs you can see nearest to you. 

When travelling west towards Hoek you want metro station platform 1 for Hoek van Holland, this is on the far side of the metro tracks so cross over via the level crossing (just visible in the background of this photo).  There's a lot of building work at Alexander at the moment to make this a more integrated interchange.

Rotterdam Alexander, metro platforms...  This photo is taken from platform 1 of the metro station, that's the rear of a metro going to Hoek van Holland.  The mainline NS station is on the embankment just out of shot to the right, that's an Intercity train to Utrecht heading off to the right.

Rotterdam Alexander, mainline platforms...  This shows the lift & stairs up to the Utrecht-bound platform on the embankment.  The metro platforms are at ground level out of shot to the left.

Video guide: London to Amsterdam

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Hotels in Amsterdam

Suggested hotels in Amsterdam...

• Book your accommodation in Amsterdam early, as it can be difficult to find rooms at peak periods at short notice, the better and cheaper rooms quickly sell out.  You'll also find prices vary significantly even at the same hotel, depending on the season and what's going on in the city.

• The ultimate Amsterdam hotel is The Grand, now the Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam.  From around €300 per night upwards for a double room, this is one of the most famous hotel in Amsterdam, 5 minutes walk from Dam Square and 10 minutes walk from Centraal Station.  For something smaller, slightly cheaper but equally special, try the Canal House boutique hotel, 15 minutes walk from the station, €205 upwards.

• Mid-range to top end:  The Park Plaza Victoria Hotel gets great reviews and is very convenient as it's on the corner just across the road from Amsterdam Centraal station, doubles from around €135 upwards per night.  In a similar price bracket, try the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre, 6 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal and also with excellent reviews. 

• Mid-range:  The Hotel Luxer is cheaper, from around €109 upwards per night, and also just 7 minutes walk from Centraal station with great reviews.  Also try The Times Hotel, Hotel Tourist Inn or Daily Rooms Hotel.  Or the Hotel Sebastians, around €115 per night, equally well located 10 minutes walk from Centraal station, another hotel which gets great reviews.

• Cheapies:  There are many cheap hotels, including many near the station, but very few get outstanding reviews.  For ones that do, try the floating boat hotel AmiciA (formerly Friesland), around €45 per night 15 minutes walk from the station or the Rembrandt Hotel from €80, 10 min walk from Dam Square though 20 minutes walk from the station.

Suggested hotels in Rotterdam...

• The SS Rotterdam:  Easily the most original place to stay in Rotterdam is aboard the moored 1959 transatlantic liner, the SS Rotterdam.  It's a taxi ride or 50 minute walk from Rotterdam Centraal Station.

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com...

• www.hostelworld.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

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